This year, it was different.
 
This year, the SKA Annual Production which took place on motzei Shabbat , December 19th and Sunday December 20th, was held at the Hewlett High School Auditorium. And that change of venue made all the difference! A professional stage, professional lighting and the SKA "professional band" supported the magnificent cast in their songs, dances, and drama about BRACHOT!
 
The students performed to a packed house of close to 1,000 moms, sisters, aunts, grandmothers, teachers, friends and alumnae. The voices of the Choir were strong and beautiful as they sang, amongst other songs, Yaf Yafita and Shuva Hashem. The dances were sharp as they depicted the bracha of "Freedom" with orange jail outfits, the bracha of "Rain" with yellow umbrellas and yellow sweatshirts, the bracha of our "Body Parts" in a sea of black, red and white, the bracha of "Imagination" with dancers as puppets and the bracha of Techiyas haMeisim in black and white. The white hands of the signers shone in the dark .The musical drama and ensemble about a Bracha Bee were very creative  and the   comedy drama about the bracha of "Family" was fun to watch. Even the Drama Heads and Choir Heads got into the act with their own presentations. What pride we all had in our students!  And what delight they had in themselves as over 190 students gathered on the stage for a final curtain call to the thunderous applause of the audience!
 
Thank you to the actresses, the dancers, the singers, the narrators, the signers, the backstage and tech team, the band, the ticket sellers, the usherettes, the Baybill staff and the Heads .
 
Thank you to Mrs. Libin for the artistic touches and costumes, to Mrs. Bowe for the Sign Language direction and to Mrs. Sova for working with the dancers.  Thank you to the many teachers who stayed long nights to help with the back stage details: to Miss Aeder who coordinated backstage and to Mrs. Antman, Mrs. Bindiger, Mrs. Budne, Miss Chambre, Mrs. Mirsky, Mrs. Pomerantz, Mrs. Ralbag, Mrs. Sachs, and Dr. Meier and to the madrichot who helped, Lisa Ogorek and Jordana Werthheimer
 
A million thanks to Mrs. Terri Wagner, the director and "First Lady of SKA Theater" and to her 12th grade Production Assistants: Eliana Brecher, Rachel Klein and Jordana Wernick who took care of every detail with grace and efficiency.
 
Thank you to District 14 and  Hewlett High School for this breakthrough collaborative effort and to  the wonderful staff at Hewlett High School who coached the girls as to the best lighting, cues and stage positioning ,enabling our SKA cast  to shine on their stage.
 
Finally, a tremendous thanks to Mrs. Spirn and Rabbi Zak who made this all happen.
 
Girls, you did it again!!
 
Auditions for Production 2009 will start soon! Details to follow! Can't wait!